Joseph grundler



J. GRUNDLER.

FIFTH WHEEL.

No. 581,858. Patented May 4,1897,

Miren Sterns .avenir trice.

JOSEPH GRUNDLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIFTH-WHEEL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,858, dated May 4, 1897.. Application filed December 7, 1896. Serial No. 614,692. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom it 77mg concern.-

.Be it known that I, JOSEPH GRUNDLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fifth-Wheels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings, forminga part thereof, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to certain improvements in fifth-wheels for vehicles, which has for its object to furnish' a device which shall obviate the friction of and reduce wear of the wear-plates of the wheel as now constructed, and to produce a device that will operate easily and economize the use of lubricatin g material therefor.

The invention will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically set forth in the annexed claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a front elevation of my invention, showing the saine in position for use. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the device, showing the manner of attachment of plates and rollers. Fig. 3 is a top view of the casing and rollers and plates in dotted lines, and Fig. et is a detail section of the plates and casing.

In carrying out my invention I employ two circular bearing or wear plates A and A', which are secured to the upperbolster B and lower bolster B of the front part of a wagon, respectively, by bolts ZJ and b', which are countersunk in said plates, as shown at b2, the holsters being connected by the usual king-bolt. The said plates A and A are formed with annular flanges a and a upon their upper and lower edges. `An annular frame or casing O, consisting of the two par allel annular sections O and O2, secured to each other by bolts c, is interposed between the said plates, said case having a plurality of antifriction-rollers c', transversely pivoted therein by pivots c2, the flanges a and a of the plates resting upon the respective upper and lower edges a2 and a3 of said casing, permitting the plates A and A to contact with the rollers c' and rotate thereon.

The rollers c are tapered longitudinally, as shown in the drawings, the thicker portions being pivoted in the outer plate C, and the plates A and A are made thinner at the outer portions, whereby when they are rotated all the parts thereof will bear upon the rollers and all parts of the device will operate easily.

The operation of the device is as follows: The two bearing-plates A and A of the bolsters B and B having been secured in their respective positions upon the roller-casing C and the bolsters having been attached in the usual manner, it will be seen that when the bolster B of the front axle is turned in either direction the bearing-plates A and A will bear directly upon the rollers c and not upon each other,and thus avoid the heavy friction and wear and tear and expensive use of lubricants consequent upon the old way of constructing iifth-wheels.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

A fifth-wheel for vehicles, comprising the upper and lower annular bearing-plates, said plates having anges on their outer edges and their inner surfaces beveled from the inner edges outwardly, the casing having tapered antifriction-rollers pivoted'therein eX- tending the width thereof,said casin g adapted to receive the flanges of said plates upon its edges, the smaller en ds of said rollers pivoted in the inner plates of the casing, whereby the beveled plates bear upon the entire faces of the rollers at all times, and means for securing the plates to the holsters7 substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have si gued my name, in prese ence of two witnesses, this 25th day of November, 1896.

JOSEPH GRUNDLER. 

